Page 355

A hurried voice echoed from outside the door.

"Master Chu, are you in the shop?"

"I am," Chu Yuening responded, assuming it was an urgent matter. She rose to greet the person, only to encounter a panda-eyed and anxious Ding Tao, along with...

She glanced to the side.

There stood a middle-aged man with white hair.

Ding Tao had searched for Chu Yuening everywhere, even asking the old lady at the fruit stall, before finally discovering that the Master had a feng shui shop nearby.

Fortunately, he had found her.

Regaining his breath after the hurried run, Ding Tao introduced the man beside him. "Master, this is Mr. Liu, the son of the old man. He needs your help."

Impatient, Liu Fuchun was about to kneel down. "Master, I beg of you..."

Just as he bent his knees, Chu Yuening stopped him. Startled, he lifted his head and met the girl's clear gaze, along with a few strands of hair floating in the air.

"One kneels before heaven and earth, and before one's parents. It's only when someone is gone that regret sets in for what was done in the preceding decades. You should be kneeling to the person you wronged, not me."

Liu Fuchun took a sharp breath, his half-bent knee trembling as it was forcefully pushed back up, and he stood upright.

At first, he had been somewhat skeptical of Ding Tao's account of the master's incredible abilities.

But now, face to face with the master who had seen through his heartache with just one glance, Liu Fuchun ceased his kneeling. He straightened his posture, bowed slightly with hands clasped, his freshly shaved beard sprouting from his sorrow, his swollen and red eyes a result of excessive weeping. His voice, dry and choked, pleaded, "Master, please. I want to see my father one last time. I'm willing to pay any price, as long as you can help me."

Chu Yuening sighed softly. "If you had known this would happen, why did you act as you did?"

"I was heartless and ungrateful, neither paying my respects nor covering my father's medical bills. I truly know my mistake now. Please, Master, help me. I...I don't want him to pass away still thinking it was my fault. I want to personally apologize to my father." As Liu Fuchun lowered his head, a trail of tears dropped to the ground.

He was genuinely remorseful.

If not for his misunderstanding that the neighbor's child was his father's illegitimate offspring, if not for his vengeful intent to punish his father out of resentment.

Perhaps, his father's tragic end could have been avoided.

Chu Yuening averted her gaze and turned to step into the cabinet behind the partition.

There were also display shelves behind the cabinet, along with a rack on the desk adorned with various trinkets, including Pixiu and red strings.

She took down the prepared writing brush, cinnabar ink, and talisman paper from the shelf. "The living and the dead belong to separate realms. Your father's spirit is no longer bound to the mortal world; attempting to meet him would only harm your health. Are you sure you want to proceed?"

"Absolutely! I have to!" Liu Fuchun followed closely, his eyes shimmering with anticipation. "Even if it costs me half my life, I need to see my father just once."

Chu Yuening let out a melancholic sigh.

She had met that old man before. The unresolved issues with his son had caused immense suffering in his soul. Even after crossing the River of Forgetfulness and drinking from Meng Po's soup, the old man would still carry that pain with him into his next life.

In a way, it might actually be beneficial for the old man to confront this issue.

With a steady hand, Chu Yuening dipped the brush into the mixed cinnabar ink and began inscribing a charm on the yellow talisman. As she paused, a brilliant golden glow illuminated the room.

Ding Tao, watching from the side, was astonished, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Alright." Chu Yuening folded the Soul Summoning Talisman neatly and handed it to Liu Fuchun, instructing him, "Place it under your pillow and make sure it doesn't get wet. As its name suggests, before you sleep, think of the person you wish to meet, and the talisman will draw them into your dreams for an encounter."

Liu Fuchun received the talisman with solemnity, carefully stowing it in the inner pocket of his jacket and zipping it up. "Thank you, Master Chu."

Upon hearing the effects of the Soul Summoning Talisman, Ding Tao grew excited as well. "Master, can I have one too?"

"You want one?" Chu Yuening asked, puzzled. "Who do you want to see?"

"My grandmother," Ding Tao's eyes dimmed, his expression bitter. "My grandma raised me since I was young, and she always doted on me. But she passed away early without enjoying much of her grandchildren's blessings."

That was why he wanted a talisman when he heard about it.

However, Chu Yuening shook her head. "The Soul Summoning Talisman consumes a significant amount of a living person's yang energy. For an ordinary person, it would require at least a year or two of recovery after using it once. Your spirit is depleted, and your yang energy is not in good condition, so it's not suitable for you."

"Duly noted…" Disappointment crept onto Ding Tao's face. "Master, why has my grandma never appeared in my dreams? I miss her so much."

"It's related to your birth chart," Chu Yuening explained. "If your birth chart lacks yang energy, you might encounter ghosts, and their presence in your dreams can affect you negatively. Your grandma is doing this to protect you. Come back to me when you've recovered, no need to wait until your yang energy is replenished."

"I can help regulate your yang energy. Once your physical state improves, I'll write a Soul Summoning Talisman for you," she assured him.

"Excellent! Then I'll thank you in advance, Master." Ding Tao was deeply grateful.

The Soul Summoning Talisman was different from other talismans; it required more energy to create. Liu Fuchun paid three thousand yuan before finally leaving the feng shui shop.

On his way back home.

He repeatedly recalled his childhood, when his father had held his hand and walked with him through the streets and alleys.

Tears gradually blurred his vision.

Liu Fuchun only wanted to hurry home and get some rest. He... missed his father so much.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the night grew darker.

At the corner of Temple Street, Chu Ji's Feng Shui Shop still had its sign brightly lit. Looking inside, one could hear occasional sounds coming from the small kitchen at the back.

On a liquefied gas stove, a moderate-sized stone pot burned with a flame, its contents – a steaming, bubbling broth of translucent snow jelly – giving off hot vapor. On the other side, another stone pot simmered with fragrant taro.

With two thick braids, Chu Yi was washing lotus roots under a tap nearby. As she inhaled the sweet aroma, she couldn't help but slurp, "Wow, (╯▽╰) it smells so good~."